Semantic Broker Layer for Industrial Plant State Data Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial plants face challenges in facilitating the exchange of information between producers and consumers when data acquisition occurs in one information model but evaluation for monitoring and control requires a different model, necessitating complex conversions that burden requesting devices with detailed knowledge of the technical system.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented broker entity and transformation library manage conversions by receiving requests for target semantic meanings, applying transformations from a library to source values, and transmitting the converted data, introducing an abstraction layer that decouples requesting devices from intricate system details, allowing demand-driven data flow and reusing transformations across multiple devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If each individual consumer obtains and translates information according to the original information model, then information can be accurately converted to the needed model, but the complexity and burden on requesting devices increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a broker entity as an intermediary between information producers and consumers. The broker receives information in the original information model from producers, maintains a mapping between the original information model and the target information model, and automatically performs the translation to the needed model. This eliminates the need for requesting devices to directly handle complex model conversions, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining accurate information model transformation.
2Measurement precision
If requesting devices need detailed knowledge about the internal workings of the technical system, then accurate data retrieval is possible, but the ease of operation and system adaptability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The broker entity serves as an intermediary that shields requesting devices from the complexity of the technical system's internal workings. Requesting devices only need to interact with the broker using the target information model, while the broker handles all the complex mappings and translations to the original information model. This maintains accurate data retrieval while significantly improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The broker entity provides a universal interface for all requesting devices, regardless of what specific information model they use. The broker maintains mappings to multiple original information models and can translate to any target model, making the system adaptable to different devices without requiring each device to have detailed knowledge of the technical system's internal structure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple requesting devices need information from the technical system, then comprehensive monitoring and control is achieved, but the complexity of managing conversions for each device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges all information conversion operations into a single centralized broker entity. Instead of each requesting device handling its own conversions, all devices route their information needs through the broker, which consolidates the conversion logic and mapping management in one place. This enables comprehensive monitoring and control for multiple devices while reducing overall complexity by eliminating redundant conversion management at each device.
Solution Approach 2:
The broker entity provides a universal solution that handles information model translations for multiple requesting devices simultaneously. It maintains a comprehensive mapping between the target information model and the original information model, allowing any number of devices with different information model requirements to access the technical system without increasing conversion management complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A computer-implemented broker entity (7) for conveying state information from a technical system (1) as a producer to a requesting device (2) as a consumer, wherein the state information comprises a plurality of values that have been measured and/or generated by components of the technical system, each value is associated with a given semantic meaning, and the broker entity is configured to: • receive, from the requesting device (2), a request (3) for one or more target values (6) of state information that have sought target semantic meanings (6a); • obtain, from the technical system (1), one or more source values (4) of state information that are associated with given source semantic meanings (4a); • obtain, at least in part from a transformation library (5), one or more transformations (5a-5c), wherein each transformation (5a-5c) maps one or more first values that are associated with first semantic meanings to one or more second values that are associated with second semantic meanings; • apply the one or more transformations (5a-5c), or a new transformation (5*) obtained based on the one or more transformations (5a-5c), to the source values (4) of state information, thereby obtaining the one or more target values (6) of state information; and • transmit the one or more target values (6) to the requesting device (2).